Mining machine



April 15, 1930. H. A. BUEHLER MINING-MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 25, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l MINING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 235 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Even/Tim The principal b Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mum. A. BUEHLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GOODMAN MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS MINING MACHINE.

amas mana s 25,1926, Serial No. 157,005.- Renewed September 12, 1929.

i I invention relates to improvements in coal mining machines, and'more particularly to coal mining mach nes of the cutter chain type, commonly known as the Continuous cutting coal mining machine of the shortwall type, which is moved laterally along the wall of the mine to out a kerf thereunder, and is particularly adapted for use in the room and pillar system of mining, i

'ect of this invention is to provide a reversible discharge device to 00- act with the cutter chain for discharging cuttin s from a mining machine of'the class descri ed, so constructed thatthe cuttings may H M be discharged 'atthefollowing side of the machinewhen the latter is advancing either from left to right, or from right to left.

. While this invention is primarily intended to be used with machines of theshortwall, or

29 room and pillar type, as illustrated in the drawings, it is also adaptable for machines of other types, and more especially the long wall type of mining machine, when the latter type of machine isutilized in room and pillar 2; work. It is well known that the cutter bar of a longwal'l machine is pivotally mounted at the forward end of the machine, and that when said machine is normally cutting in longwall work this cutter bar is disposed at 39. right angles to the machine frame. In this position there is no difliculty in expelling the cuttings, since the rear and retreating sides ofthe machine areopen to permit the cuttings to be freelydischarged to the rear and retreatilig sides as the machine advances. When such longwall machines are utilized in room and pillar, or shortwall work, however, a different situation exists. When the long-wall machine is sensed the cutter bar is locked in aaprojecting position atone end of, and in the rear ofthe cutter bar, although passage 4; ways are opened to either side of the machine.

The cutter chain therefore tends to throw most of the cuttings against the frame of the machine, with the result that said cuttings tend to clog. up the. cutter chain. would also be an added tendency for the machine to climb, due to the cuttings which are thrown to the advance side of the machine which are runover by the machine and which tend to tilt the cutter bar upwards and then cause the machine to climb in the coal. As will hereinafter more fully appear, the cut tings deflector disclosed in thy-invention. is adaptable to a longwall machine when used in shortwall work as described, and when used thereon, closes the cuttings passageway on the There advance side of the machine and provides an Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-.t of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view takenon line 5-.5 of Figure 1;

Like numbers refer to like parts throughout the various drawingsi Referring now to the drawings, the device embodying my invention comprises a mining machine of the shortwall type disclosed in a co-pending application of Frank A. Lindgren, bearing Serial Number 157,006, filed on December 25, 1926. The main elements of the machine-include a main frame 1, with a cutter bar 2 of any approved construction projecting from the forward end thereof.

Said cutter bar is provided with an endless cutter chain 3 of the usual type. A motor 4, including a motor casing 5, is secured to the rearward end of said main frame. The bottom of said motor casing rests on the mine bottom, as is usual with shortwall mining machines of the low-vein type, as well as with many machines of the longwall type. The cutter chain 3 is driven from the motor by a sprocket 6 through a suitable gearing means to cause said cutter chain to cut a kerf in the mine wall as the machine is moved by draft devices in the well known manner of draft operated cutting machines.

The draft devices referred to herein comprise a cable 9 wound on a motor driven drum 10 on one side of the machine, which in this case is the right hand side of the machine as the machine is faced from its rearward end, and a cable 11 wound on a motor driven drum 12 on the opposite or left hand side of the machine. These cables and drums are so arranged that either cable may be used to pull the machine across the face of the coal or to retard said machine to keep said machine in proper alignment with the face of the coal. It may therefore be seen that these rope drums are identical in construction and operation and are thus completely reversible. Said rope drums are driven by the motor 4 by a suitable system of gearing having a frictionally controlled speed reduction means therein to cause said drums to be operable at a plurality of frictionally controlled speeds. A suitable retarding means (not shown) is provided for each rope drum to be used when said drum is used as a retarding rope drum.

Referring now more particularly to the novel features of my invention, the main frame 1 has an aperture 15 therein between a bottom plate 16 integral with said frame 7 and forming a skid on which said frame rests,

and a housing 17 for the feed and cutter chain driving gears. This aperture extends from the forward portion'of the frame 1 rearwardly to the rearward portion of said frame near the forward portion of the motor casing 5 and thus may be opened to both sides of the frame 1 for the ejection of the cuttings brought rearwardly by the cutter chain 3.

It may be seen that the cuttings brought rearwardly by the cutter chain 3 will strike the rear wall of the aperture 15, and that a very small part of said cuttings will be discharged beyond the machine frame as is desirable in a machine of this class. Said cuttings therefore will accumulate in the space between thecutting chain 3 and the motor casing 5 and the cutter chain 3 will tend to propel said cuttings back into the kerf. The cutter chain besides cutting through the coal has to pass through the clogged cuttings in the cuttings passageway and the cuttings which may be drawn back into the kerf. This places an undue load on the cutting machine which may be eliminated by the proper ejection of the cuttings from the machine.

In order to provide means for discharging the cuttings in either direction, I provide a reversible arcuate cuttings deflector 18 shaped to conform generally with the path of the cutter chain as it turns about its sprocket 6, and thus deflect and expel the cuttings to the retreating side of the machine. In the form shown herein, the deflector 18 is arranged for discharging the cuttings to the right of the frame. It is secured in the aperture 16 by a suitable means which herein comprises cap screws 19. Said deflector closes the aperture 16 on the advance side of the machine, leavingthe retreating side open for the discharge of the cuttings, when the machine is moved from right to left. Said deflector is detachable from the frame, however, so it can be reversed when the direction of cutting is reversed. It then conforms to'the cutter chain which will run in an opposite direction, and closes the advance side of the machine which was formerly the retreating side, leaving openthe retreating side of said machine. Ribs 20 and 21 project vertically downward from beneath the gear housing 17 and one of said ribs engages the deflector 18 to prevent cuttings from going past said deflector to the advance side of the machine. From the drawings (see Figures 1 and 2) it may be seen that these ribs extend from opposite sides of the frame 1 diagonally across the aperture 15 and conform to the shape of the deflector 18.

Thus, when the machine is arranged for cutting from right to left (the more frequent arrangement, as shown herein), the deflector 18 is fastened in position in the aperture 17 by the cap screws 19. Said deflector extends diagonally across theaperture 15 from the rear right hand corner to the forward left hand corner and abuts the rib 20 closing the aperture 15 on the left or advance side of the machine to form a continuous arcuate passageway for the expulsion of the cuttings from the cutter chain through the retreating side of said mining machine.

When the machine is cutting in an opposite direction, that is, from left to right, the deflector 18 is inverted and fastened in position by the cap screws 19 so as to extend diagonally across the aperture 15 from the rear left hand corner to the'forward right hand corner abutting the rib 21. This closes the aperture 15 .on the right side of the machine, which is now the advance side of said machine, to form a continuous arcuate passageway for the expulsion of the cuttings from the cutter chain through the left or retreating side ofsaid mining machine.

From the description, it is seen that I' have provided a simple means to cooperate with rious parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Moreover, I do not wish to be construed as limiting myself to the specific embodiment illustrated in the drawings, excepting as it may be limited by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a reversible mining machine adapted to bemoved laterally along the face of a mine wall to cut a kerf thereunder, the com bination of a frame having a passageway therein opening to the front and both sides of said frame, a cutter bar projecting forwardly of said frame and a detachable element, invertible to close said passageway on either side of said machine allowing the opening on the opposite side of said machine to remain open, said cutter bar remaining in a fixed position relative to said frame.

2. In a reversible mining machine adapted to be moved laterally along the face of a mine wall to cut a kerf thereunder, the combination of a frame, a motor to the rearof the frame and resting on the mine bottom, a cutter arm projecting forwardly from the front end of said frame, a cutter chain driving sprocket adjacent the forward portion of said frame, a cutter chain passing about said arm and sprocket, a passageway in said frame extending from the forward portion of said frame rearwardly near the forward portion of said motor and normally opening to both sides of said frame, and a detachable cuttings deflector invertible to close said passageway on the advance side of said machine and formportion of said motor and normally opening to both sides of said frame, and a reversible detachable arcuate cuttings deflector adapted to close the passageway to the advance side of said machine and cooperate with the cutter chain for the expulsion of the cuttings from the retreating side of the machine when said machine is cutting from right to left or left to right, said cutter arm remaining in a fixed position relative to said frame.

Signed at Chicago, this 23rd day of December, A. D. 1926.

HERBERT A. BUEHLER.

ing an arcuatepassageway for the expulsion the frame andresting on the mine bottom,

a cutter arm projecting forwardly from the front end of said frame, a cutter chain driving sprocket adjacent the forward portion of said frame, a cutter chain passing about said arm and sprocket, a passageway in said frame extending from the forward portion of said frame rearwardly near the forward 

